Penney looking for gloss finish
Reporter: MATTHEW CHAMBERS
Date published: 09 April 2010
ATHLETIC manager Dave Penney hopes his side can reproduce the performance of midweek tomorrow against Bristol Rovers – with the added extra ingredient of a goal or two.
Without the suspended Kieran Lee who was sent off in the 2-0 defeat to Huddersfield at the Galpharm Stadium, Penney prepares for the visit of a side who have won three of their last four matches to sit seven points outside the Coca-Cola League One play-offs.
And the Athletic boss is seeking three points which would edge his side closer to the safety zone with seven matches of the season remaining for Athletic to save themselves from relegation.
“I was encouraged by the performance on Tuesday and the ability of the players to get on the ball, in front of a big crowd, being positive and enjoying possession of the ball,” said Penney, who is likely to make only one change for the Boundary Park clash (3pm kick-off) with Alex Marrow favourite to come in at right-back in place of in-form Lee.
“They were obviously disappointed with the result but you could see in training they were not too disheartened because they knew they played ever so well.
“The reality is that Huddersfield put the ball into the back of the net twice and we didn’t. I’d say we had the better chances to score the goals.
“In terms of passing, possession and chances, confidence on the ball, the players were excellent and I couldn’t really fault any of them.
“If they keep turning in those kind of performances, coupled with stopping the silly little errors, and putting the chances away when we get them, then we will pick up the points.”
Tomorrow is Lewis Guy’s last game in his current loan spell and it may be that he is on his way back to parent club Doncaster.
The South Yorkshire club recalled Paul Heffernan – who spent a spell on loan with Athletic earlier this season – from Rovers this week as a result of an injury crisis which could also spell an end to Guy’s Boundary Park career.
Athletic (from): Flahavan, Marrow, Hazell, Gregan, Black, Guy, Stephens, Whitaker, Furman, Taylor, Abbott, Guy, Brill, Lomax, Aljofree, Worthington, Colbeck, Eaves, Brooke, Smalley, Millar.
